From “Runs Girls” to CEOs, Everyone’s on the Hook
The Federal Government just made Nigeria’s tax conversation a lot more… inclusive. Under the freshly signed Nigeria Tax Act 2025, the taxman says even sex workers are expected to file returns, a move that will "broaden the revenue base," Dubawa reports.
The Big Picture: Abuja is racing to lift tax‐to‐GDP from a paltry 10 %. The new legal quartet, the Nigeria Tax Laws 2025 - Comprehensive Tax Reform Legislation, including the Nigeria Tax Act, Tax Administration Act, Revenue Service Act, and Joint Revenue Board Act, rewires who pays, how much, and to whom.
The Details:
- Committee chair Taiwo Oyedele told Dubawa that the law makes no distinction between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" income. If you earn, you owe.
- The overhaul collapses more than 60 levies into fewer than 10 and births an independent Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to replace FIRS, according to Daily Trust.
- A progressive Personal Income Tax (PIT) regime kicks in on 1 January 2026, rates jump from 0 % on incomes up to ₦800k to 25 % on anything above ₦50m.
Why It Matters: The reaction was swift. Advocates say taxing the informal sector boosts fairness; critics warn that enforcement could push vulnerable workers further underground. "The more inequality you create, the more time-bombs you have," Oyedele cautioned at the Nigerian Economic Summit, per the Nigerian Observer.
Around the Tax World
• Big PIT Break: About 98 % of employees will be exempt from Pay-As-You-Earn under the new laws, Oyedele told the Nigerian Observer, aligning policy with poverty-reduction goals.
• World Bank Wish List: Abuja should "increase health taxes and gradually raise VAT" to ECOWAS levels, the latest Guardian Nigeria Development Update recommends.
• Accountability Call: Nigeria’s oil-fed “revenue-sharing democracy” must become a tax-paying one to keep leaders honest, economist Professor Adi Bongo argued on ARISE News.
• Credibility Crunch: Winning public trust is still the hardest part of reform, Business a.m. notes, pointing to citizens who doubt taxes reach roads, schools, or hospitals.
Tax Stat of the Day
98%, the share of Nigerian workers who will pay zero PAYE from 2026, according to the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee (Nigerian Observer).
Looking Ahead
All eyes are on 1 January 2026, when the new PIT bands, NRS structure, and streamlined levies officially go live. Expect guidance and plenty of webinars from the tax office in the coming weeks.